Veganism, the plant-based diet that avoids meat and dairy, is gaining emphasis. Since 2008, there has been a 350% increase in the number of self-styled vegans in the UK alone. The origin of this motivation is varied, but includes animal welfare concerns, environmental concerns, and religious motives.
Many people, however, seek a healthier diet. Research suggests that veganism can have health benefits if planned well.
For those who have followed a meat and dairy diet for most of their lives, embarking on a vegan diet can lead to significant changes in the body.
Professor of nutrition and dietetics at a public university in London, Sophie Medlin explains what happens to the body when a person adopts a vegan diet.
the first weeks
The first thing someone starting a vegan diet might notice is an energy boost with the removal of the processed meat found in many omnivorous diets, in favor of fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
These foods will boost your vitamin, mineral, and fiber levels, and thinking ahead about your meals and snacks, rather than relying on convenience foods, can help maintain consistent energy levels.
As the time without animal products grows, there is likely to be a shift in bowel function to a more regular and healthy pattern or an increase in bloating, gas and leaky gut.
This is due to the higher fiber content of a vegan diet and the simultaneous increase in carbohydrates that ferment in the gut and can cause irritable bowel syndrome.
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This may resolve itself eventually and can lead to some positive changes in the diversity of bacteria in the colon, depending on whether a vegan diet is made up of processed foods and refined carbohydrates or is well-planned and balanced.
Although not yet proven, scientists believe that a high diversity of gut bacteria species can be beneficial to the entire system, in the same way that ecosystems are stronger as a result of many different types of species thriving.
Three to six months later
Several months on a vegan diet and some people may find that increasing fruits and vegetables and cutting back on processed foods can help with acne problems.
By now, however, your stores of vitamin D may be running low, as the main sources of vitamin D in our diet come from meat, fish, and dairy, and it’s not always noticeable until it’s too late.
Vitamin D is not well understood, but it is essential for keeping bones, teeth and muscles healthy and a deficiency has been linked to cancer, heart disease, migraines and depression.
This is because vitamin D stores only last about two months in the body.
How long your stores last will depend on what time of year you decide to go vegan, because the body can make vitamin D from sunlight.
Making sure you eat plenty of fortified foods or take a supplement is important, especially in the winter months.
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Within a few months, a well-balanced vegan diet low in salt and processed foods can have impressive benefits for cardiovascular health, helping to prevent heart disease, stroke, and reducing your risk of diabetes.
As the intake of nutrients like iron, zinc and calcium is reduced on a vegan diet, our bodies get better at absorbing them in the gut.
Adaptation may be sufficient to prevent deficiencies in some people, but not in all, in which case supplements may make up for the deficiency.
From six months to several years
Close to a year on a vegan diet, vitamin B12 stores can become depleted.
Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient for healthy blood and nerve cell function and can only be found in animal products.
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include shortness of breath, exhaustion, poor memory, and tingling in the hands and feet.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is easily prevented by eating three servings of fortified foods a day or taking a supplement, but managing it is very important as any deficiency would negate the benefits of a vegan diet for heart disease and stroke risk and can cause nerve damage. and permanent brain damage.
A few years later and even our bones will start to notice the change. Our skeleton is a storehouse of minerals and until the age of 30 we can add minerals to it from our diet, but after that our bones can no longer absorb minerals and therefore getting enough calcium when we are young is vital.
After age 30, our bodies collect calcium from our skeleton for use in the body, and if we don’t replenish calcium in our blood through our diet, our bones fill the deficit and become brittle as a result.
Calcium-rich vegetables like kale and broccoli can protect bones, but many vegans do not meet their calcium needs and there is a 30% higher risk of fracture among vegans when compared to vegetarians and omnivores. Plant-based calcium is also more difficult to absorb, so supplements or lots of fortified foods are recommended.
When contemplating the next few years on a vegan diet, balance is key.
Well-balanced vegan diets can have great health benefits.
Many of these benefits can be offset by shortcomings if the diet is not managed carefully, but supermarkets and food stores are making it easier than ever to enjoy a varied and exciting vegan diet and our appetite for meat in general is waning.
With the right preparation, a vegan diet can be good for human health.
Published under a Creative Commons license from The Conversation.
Source: CNN Brasil
